Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, in a talk with business leaders, said Canada’s wealth of critical minerals are behind Mr. Trump’s comments about making its northern neighbor a U.S. state.

Trump had suggested repeatedly, both in posts on his social media platform Truth Social and in remarks to reporters, that Canada could become a US state instead to avoid the tariffs. He has also referred to the country's prime minister as "Governor Trudeau".

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told business and labor leaders that he didn’t believe Trump was joking about wanting to annex Canada and suggested his interest might be connected to the country’s minerals and energy resources.